The Serbian Novak Djokovic, number two in the ATP ‘ranking’, beat the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, leader of the world hierarchy, in the final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, in the United States.
On Sunday, in a match that lasted three hours and 49 minutes, the longest three-set final in ATP Tour history (since 1990), the 20-year-old Alcaraz got off to a better start, beating the former 5-7.
However, Djokovic, 36, who had not lost a set in the entire tournament, responded and won the next two ‘sets’, but only in the ‘tie break’, 7-6 (7) and 7-6. . (4 ).
The Serb won the third title in Cincinnati in six years by getting the fifth ‘match point’, in a game played with temperatures around 32 degrees.
“This was one of the most emotional matches I’ve ever played in any tournament,” Djokovic said during the post-match trophy presentation. “It felt like a Grand Slam,” added the tennis player, who holds the world record with 23 Grand Slam titles.
“I hope we meet in New York. That would be fun, well, for the fans, not for me,” the Serb told Alcaraz, referring to the US Open, which begins on August 28.
Cincinnati was the first tournament that the Serbian played in the United States in two years, due to the restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic. Djokovic played in the final of the North American tournament for the eighth time, which he won in 2018 and 2020.
Just over a month after the two starred in the Wimbledon final, won by Alcaraz, the Serb won his 95th career title, passing Ivan Lendl for third among men in the professional era, which began in 1968.
The young Spaniard, who qualified for the Cincinnati final for the first time, failed to win his third Masters 1000 this season after successes in Indian Wells and Madrid.
Source: TSF
